Worlds Largest Grizzly Bear

This post has been carried over from our forum which has since been removed from the site. We’ve pulled over the top 10 forum conversations that were not specific to future content areas which we will be posting.

piedipers
Hi,

I recently received an email from my wifes’ work regarding a supposed grizzly bear attack in Alaska. Where upon a 14 foot grizzly bear was shot to death by a ranger out deer hunting. It came with three photographs, 1] displaying overall size of grizzly and hunter together, 2] displaying size of paw and 3] graphic portrayal of hiker practically eaten.

forgive my morbidity on this, but can anyone verify this story, which l have pasted below:

Many regards piedipers
The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting last week when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The guy unloaded his 7mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear and it dropped a few feet from him.
The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot it several
times in the head. The bear was just over one thousand six
hundred pounds. It stood 12′ 6″ high at the shoulder, 14′ to the
top of his head. It’s the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in
the world. Of course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did
not let him keep it as a trophy, but the bear will be stuffed and
mounted, and placed on display at the Anchorage airport (to remind
tourist’s of the risks involved when in the wild).

Based on the contents of the bears stomach, the Fish and Wildlife
Commission established the bear had killed at least two humans in
the past 72 hours. His last meal was the unlucky nature buff in
the third picture below. The US Forest Service, backtracking from
where the bear had originated, found the hiker’s 38-caliber pistol
emptied.

Not far from the pistol was the remains of the hiker. Although the
hiker fired six shots and managed to hit the grizzly with four
shots (they ultimately found four 38 caliber slugs along with
twelve 7mm slugs inside the bear’s dead body) it only wounded the
bear – and probably angered it. The other body has not been
found. The bear killed the hiker an estimated two days prior to
the bear’s own death by the gun of the Forest Service worker.

Think about this – If you are an average size man; You would be
level with the bear’s belly button when he stood upright, the bear
would look you in the eye when it walked on all fours! To give
additional perspective, consider that this particular bear,
standing on its hind legs, could walk up to an average single
story house and look over the roof, or walk up to a two story
house and look in the bedroom windows.

Fitter
I’ll dig up the info for you but the story has been quite twisted as its been around for quite some time.

MamaEagle
I remember that one too. I think there was a little truth and a little tale to that one.

Here are some info and photos but as I mentioned take it for what its worth.

The first two photos are legitimate images of a giant grizzly brought down by a hunter in Alaska. However, the accompanying story is about another hunter and another bear.

On October 14, 2001, U.S. Air Force Airman Theodore Winnen was deer-hunting on Hinchinbrook Island, Prince William Sound when he and his hunting buddy, Staff Sgt. James Urban. spotted the bear. Effectively cloaked by their camouflage hunting gear, the pair had plenty of time to take their shot. The first bullet from Winnen’s 338 Winchester pierced the brain, but it took five more in the chest to bring him down. The first two photos above were taken by Urban and were posted on several hunting boards and shared among hunting enthusiasts. The bear was 10 1/2 feet long and weighed more than half a ton – Big, but not a record.

Six months later, Sigfredo Casiano, was hiking in Alaska and had a similar experience with a large bear. Casiano claims he found himself about 10 feet from the animal when the beast started moving toward him. His first shot brought the bear down, but he fired several more shots, probably to make sure. In this case, the bear was a brown bear, not a grizzly, and between eight and nine feet tall.

Because of the temporal closeness of these two accounts, the two stories became confused. Eventually, the picture of Winnen became associated with the story of Casiano. The confusion was frustrated by National Forest Service officials who mistakenly identified the photos to be from Casiano’s story.

If that weren’t bad enough, some joker along the line decided to embellish the story with a gruesome prologue, complete with photographic evidence. While the origins of the third picture remain unknown, we do know that it has nothing to do with either Winnen’s or Casiano’s bear encounters. It was added nearly a year after the most popular version of this story began circulating. In fact, there is no evidence in either case that the bears had ever attacked humans.

MamaEagle
For what it is worth, I remember that third photo was circulated on a website and that the site claimed it to be the result of a dog attack.

piedipers
Hi again,

Thanks for this and the reply. Admittedly l have to be honest l thought that there might be a hint of truth in some portion somewhere, but thought that in another area it wasn’t quite right.

I looked into the animal attacks archives here on this site and came up with the Alaskan Hiker Killed by Bear

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man on a day hike in a rural area was killed when a bear bit his head, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.

Kenneth Cates, 53, was found Wednesday morning on a horse trail in a heavily wooded area of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge near his hometown of Soldotna.

Seeing as this stated a ‘hiker’ being killed and thought, here we go this is something.

Out of curiousity, what is the record for the biggest grizzly, and how big is the actual grizzly bear in the two legit photos?

Fitter
The bear in the picture is supposedly as you mentioned: The bear was over one thousand six hundred pounds. It stood 12′ 6″ high at the shoulder, 14′ to the top of his head. It’s the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world.

MamaEagle
I had to go check this out at the truth or fiction site goto when wondering about some emails i recieve. This is what I found attached to this same story and pictures.

********
THE TRUTH
Thanks to our readers, the truth about these pictures has been found. The facts are a little different from the original eRumor, but the pictures do record the results of a true hunt and are real.

The original pictures lacked the label linking them with hunting-pictures, but that is where the pictures reside. They were posted by a hunter who used the nickname Dalliwacker but who is, according to published articles, Jim Urban. He says that the bear was actually ten feet high and weighed between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds. He says the bear did not stand up then drop down and charge. It showed no aggression at all. He also says the bear was not shot on Hitchenbrook Island but, like all good hunters, he won’t be specific about where he got it .*************

The version of the eRumor that claims the bear was a killer and was shot by a forest service employee are false.

Fitter
Heres an update on the Worlds Largest Bear for all who continue to follow and seek the truth behind this story.

I recently watched a special on National Geographic and a portion of the show was dedicated to this very same bear and the actual hunter. The hunter himself, pictured above, appeared on the show and offered some insight from his home. And yes, the famed bear he shot was mounted on the wall in the interview. Here are some transcipts from the show in exact format.

Narrator:
In October 2001, a hunter legally shot a bear on Hinchinbrook Island off Alaska’s southern coast. He emailed photos of himself posing with the bear to friends. The photos became an internet sensation and soon, stories appeared along with the images. Blogs and websites claimed the Hinchinbrook Island bear stood 12 1/2 feet tall on it’s hind legs. A super bear as big as any ever seen.

Ray Massey – Forest Service Spokesman Alaska Region:
If the bear sat down in a room with you, and was flat on his behind on the floor, and tipped it’s nose up, his head would be through a normal ceiling by about a foot or two. If this bear stood up, as reported in the web, it could be watching you take a shower on the second floor of your home.

Narrator:
And there was more. A photograph of gnawed human remains. According to the internet, the last man eaten by the giant bear, shot on Hinchinbrook Island. This story of a monster man-eating bear astonished web surfers around the world. Especially the hunter who shot the bear. He doesnt know how the bear he killed got to be the worlds biggest bear in cyberspace. It was big. But not that big.

Actual Hunter:
In relation to the world record he wound up only being short by 2 inches and uh 2/16ths of an inch which put him at the rank of 145 out of the 347 of the largest, worlds largest bears ever taken. Ya know I got to get that straight. He’s still a record he’s just not the world record.

Narrator:
But what about that other photo claiming to show the Hinchinbrook bears last meal?

Actual Hunter:
Thats another picture that gets associated with my bear. That has nothing to do with my bear. As far as I know this bear didnt, ya know, kill nobody or maul nobody.

Narrator:
So where did the photo come from? Bear experts took a closer look and discovered that, wherever this man died, it probably wasn’t anywhere near Alaska.

Dr. Tom Smith – Research Wildlife Biologist USGS Alaska Science Center:
If you look at the vegetation in there it’s not quite tropical but it certainly is not Alaskan. It appeared to be the victim of a tiger attack from the Indian sub-continent.

39 Comments

THAT IS CRAZY THAT IS A BIG BEAR.
BUT NASTY AT THE SAME TIME
BUT ODLY COOL.

Jack Shannon

February 13, 2009

That’s pretty terrible, I guess that blows the play dead technique out the window, that guy is dead!

admin

February 13, 2009

The man that is showed mauled in the photo is not related to the bear itself. That photo was attached somewhere along the way when the story was circulating.

BOB

March 5, 2009

THE THERD PIC IS GROSS.

BOB

March 5, 2009

HOW MANY SHOTS DID IT TAKE TO KILL THE LARGE BEAST.

Anonymous

March 5, 2009

WHAT HAPPEND

Nicole Verheyen

March 20, 2009

how mutch did the animal weigh?

Toby Norman

October 24, 2009

Worlds biggest grizzly killed by a coward with an ego problem. Now, this big grizzly cannot reproduce and make more big grizzly bears.

greg morin

December 22, 2009

this is to toby norman you are an absolute idiot to call him a coward , let me guess you would stand there with your gun in hand while the grizzly was charging you not firing a shot and let the bear keep charging still not firing a shot and watch it until it finally reached you and absolutelly ripped you a part without letting up until you were dead if he is a coward for shooting him then i guess i would be a coward and alive and you would be a idiot and dead

sara

January 14, 2010

EEEEEWWWWW thats gross i can not believe that that guy killed that huge grizzly bear. Then cut it open and found 2 other hikers iternal oregans in the bears body. Thats gunna give me nightmares 2nite!!!!!

admin

January 16, 2010

The bear never killed attacked or ate anyone that officials or the hunter know about.

As noted from a television show on National Geographic with the actual hunter that killed the bear.

Narrator:
But what about that other photo claiming to show the Hinchinbrook bears last meal?

Actual Hunter:
Thats another picture that gets associated with my bear. That has nothing to do with my bear. As far as I know this bear didnt, ya know, kill nobody or maul nobody.

steve gilles

March 12, 2010

greg morin thank you. the guy you are in referance to has no idea of hunting and what a charging grizzly is capable of……….

Jesus Christ

April 17, 2010

1915 – 1.8 Billion people
2009 – 6.8 Billion people
Past 94 years – 5 Billion people
Next 500 years – 32 Billion people or more
Problems – Poverty, starvation, global warming, hole in ozone layer, crime, polution, land destruction
Solution – “STOP CREATING”!!!
If people continue to over populate there will be no bears left in the wild. They will either be killed off or they will end up in a zoo.

Anonymous

April 30, 2010

that is discusting

barnicle head

May 17, 2010

theres no way in hell thats real. I’m pretty sure that more than just his upper leg would be gone, and plus dinosauers don’t exist, neither do Spearing mouse fish!!!

Andy

May 25, 2010

Duh. If you actually read the article it says that the last picture wasn;t associated with the bear attack or even that bear or even that area of the country.

James Porter

October 5, 2010

Dear ACTIVIST this bear is currently mounted and stuffed in the anchorage international airport in anchorage ak. Since i live in alaska and have seen the bear with my own eyes i can personally verify its authenticity.

Griz

October 7, 2010

This is total bullshit. The bear was not 14 feet tall, it was not a new world record, and it did not kill anyone. The dead body is from a totally different incident.

Anonymous

October 26, 2010

just think that if there was more of them that size

Anonymous

December 3, 2010

That is crazy i can’t believe that

raymo13

April 21, 2011

I guess Bob cant read

AdamApp

May 3, 2011

I heard about the gross pictures of the chewed up man that went along with this story. Yes, that is gross. It does make you understand a little bit more that bears arent cuddly animals in the wild.

Aaron

June 15, 2011

Stay out of deep woods and go to a resort to have fun ,deep woods are uncharted and you might not make it back.

Tuco

July 9, 2011

Carry a bigger gun and enjoy the wild. I would not hesitate to shoot if I were being threatened. I hike and I love it. I do not hunt for sport but will shoot if in danger. Was chased by wild boar in AL.

Greeenhawk19

July 14, 2011

i JUST ACNT BELIEVE THAT HUNTER KILLED A BEAR. i HEAD THAT IT WAS 2 FLOORS HIGH STANDING UP

ecowarrior

July 25, 2011

TO JESUS CHRIST: AMEN!

SDR

July 26, 2011

I agree with Dr. Smith. Looks like a cat attack to me.

JW

August 3, 2011

Oh man. Why do people comment on an article they didn’t read? It looks like 90% of you read the first paragraph, looked at the pictures and wrote your comments. This is the very definition of ignorance.

Damien Dawson

August 5, 2011

I’ve seen this picture before. I was supposedly the result of a ferral dog attack in Singapore, where the avarage height of the population is around 5.4″

Barry Cramer

November 8, 2011

my comment is as follows that creature was tremendous it’s to bad it was destroyed.
To comment to one of the persons commenting ” what if there was more of them”?
All I can add if there was this one you can be sure there are more and possibly larger than that one.

Barry

November 8, 2011

My comment is as follows. That creature was truly spectacular, it’s really to. Bad
That such a magnificent specimen had to be destroyed. I don’t feel badly for the
Humans that were eaten, the animal was only doing what they do.
To comment to one of the other responders quote,”What if there was more out there?”
All I can add is You Bet Your A– there are and more than likely even larger.

0z.w1zerd@gmail.com

January 9, 2012

LOL @ at the comments from folks who didn’t read the full article.

Kyle Thorpe

March 9, 2012

Thatt is freaking rediculous, me and my do alot of hunting northern oregon and we have seen some huge black beers,no bigger then 10 feet tho,i think that sucks they didnt let the guy who killed it keep,if i shot that monster i would have stuffed that son of a bitch and cleared out a room just for that monster,i’de sue the people that took it from me, thats bullshit,and Toby Norman your an idiot,you know how old that bear probly is,he probly has breeded more than 30 times already

Ethan

June 30, 2012

That is crazy that the bear ate that man like that. That bear is like humungo.

sutzen

August 24, 2012

Maybe not a world record but nothing to be scoffed at either.. I do understand there’s a problem on Stitka Island where bears have learned a gunshot during deer season equals an easy meal, a gut pile .. You’re allowed to kill bear if it’s a threat to your life but not over the ownership of a deer .. Sounds like there’s going to be some real problems here..

N/A

November 13, 2012

I have seen pictures of this bear all over the web, it is definitely impressive. And to all of you whom insulted the hunter, you really need to buzz off and mind your own business if you can’t keep your fowl mouth shut. I mean no offence, but seriously people, quit being selfish jerks.
And there was someone that left a comment claiming to be Jesus Christ. If you think that is what Jesus Christ would say, then you understand the Bible very poorly. Honestly, why would he favor bears over humanity?

Shannon

January 12, 2013

Christ. That’s a crazy beast… Toby Norman’s an idiot, why do we want giant bears? They would soon learn that they could overpower any human, and would most likely maul anyone that tried to stop it digging through their garbage cans.

antrobleto@yahoo.com

October 13, 2013

hunting for sport is despicable and for cowards, animals have the same right to live just like humans, we are too many taking up space, therefore animals-human encounters will increase until humans exterminate all animals. humans are the worse animals ever, selfish, hateful, wasteful, unhappy, abusers, destructive